Abstract: A driving authentication system is presented for a vehicle. The system includes: a dongle interfaced with a battery of the vehicle and an authenticator configured to receive a discharge current from the battery. The dongle operates to modulate discharge current from the battery with an input code; and the authenticator demodulate the input code from the discharge current, compares the input code to the one or more known authentication codes and, in response to the input code matching one of the one or more known authentication codes, controls power capacity of the battery.

Abstract: Methods are provided for designing a structure with developable surfaces using a surface developability constraint. The surface developability constraint is developed based on the discovery of a sufficient condition for surface piecewise developability, namely surface normal directions lie on a small, finite number of planes. Automated methods and algorithms may include providing a design domain and a characteristic function of a material in the design domain to be optimized. The methods include defining a nodal density of the material, and determining surface normal directions of a plurality of planes. A density gradient that describes the surface normal directions is then determined. The methods include performing a topology optimization process on the design domain using a surface developability constraint that is based, at least in part, on the characteristic function. A geometric domain is then created for the structure using results from the topology optimization.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are small molecule inhibitors of platelet function, and methods of using the small molecules to treat diseases, such as platelet hemostasis and thrombosis. In particular, disclosed herein are compounds of Formula (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof: wherein the substituents are as described.

Abstract: Provided are compounds represented by Formula (I-A) and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof, wherein R8, R9a, R9b, R9c, R9d, X, Y, Z, Z1, W, and (aa) are as defined as set forth in the specification. Provided are also compounds of Formula (I-A) for use to treat a condition or disorder responsive to Mcl-1 inhibition such as cancer.

Abstract: A system for testing biological samples includes a frame having first and second sides and an aperture extending through the frame from the first side to the second side. First and second covers are attached to the first and second sides of the frame to form a well bounded by the frame, the first cover, and the second cover. An electromagnetic imaging device is used to image the biological sample through the first cover. A method is also conceived, wherein a first fluid is supplied to the well, the first fluid including live cells. A biofilm is grown from the live cells. A second fluid is supplied to the well and the biofilm is imaged using the electromagnetic imaging device.

Abstract: Sound presents an invaluable signal source that enables computing systems to perform daily activity recognition. However, microphones are optimized for human speech and hearing ranges: capturing private content, such as speech, while omitting useful, inaudible information that can aid in acoustic recognition tasks. This disclosure presents an activity recognition system that recognizes activities using sounds with frequencies inaudible to humans for preserving privacy. Real-world activity recognition performance of the system is comparable to simulated results, with over 95% classification accuracy across all environments, suggesting immediate viability in performing privacy-preserving daily activity recognition.

Abstract: A method includes disposing a plurality of actuators about a subject, each actuator being configured to generate a respective vibration signal, each vibration signal applying a normal force to the subject, and controlling the plurality of actuators such that the respective vibration signal of each actuator of the plurality has a respective vibration characteristic. Each actuator is oriented such that the respective vibration signal propagates along a longitudinal axis of the subject for stimulation of the subject remote from the plurality of actuators.

Abstract: When the ultra-low power mm-scale sensor node does not have a crystal oscillator and phase-lock loop, it inevitably exhibits significant carrier frequency offset (CFO) and sampling frequency offset (SFO) with respect to the reference frequencies in the gateway. This disclosure enables efficient real-time calculation of accurate SFO and CFO at the gateway, thus the ultra-low power mm-scale sensor node can be realized without a costly and bulky clock reference crystal and also power-hungry phase lock loop. In the proposed system, the crystal-less sensor starts transmission with repetitive RF pulses with a constant interval, followed by the data payload using pulse-position modulation (PPM). A proposed algorithm uses a two-dimensional (2D) fast Fourier transform (FFT) based process that identifies the SFO and CFO at the same time to establish successful wireless communication between the gateway and crystal-less sensor nodes.

Abstract: A two-port antenna system is proposed that uses a polarization-independent spatial power divider to align the beams from two orthogonally oriented dual-polarized feeds. This antenna system is compatible with fully polarimetric radar and provides high port isolation. It simultaneously provides a common aperture for transmit and receive to minimize radar parallax. The spatial power divider is designed using a combination of all-dielectric metamaterial techniques and the concept of miniaturized-element frequency selective surfaces, and is fabricated on a silicon wafer using standard microfabrication technology.

Abstract: Today, product developers with customized small batch production needs come across the problem of finding capable and flexible manufacturers, while manufacturers face underutilization due to inconsistent demand. In this disclosure, a digital manufacturing framework is presented to address the challenge of matching the underutilized manufacturers with the new product developers. This disclosure presents a Production as a Service (PaaS) framework to connect users (consumers or product developers) who have customized small batch manufacturing needs, with manufacturers that have existing underutilized resources. PaaS is a cloud-based, centralized framework based on a service oriented architecture (SOA) that abstracts the manufacturing steps of a product as individual (production) service requests. PaaS creates a market place for small-to-mid sized manufacturing industry by coordinating multiple manufacturers to provide the requested services.

Abstract: Methods and systems monitor and assess brain bioimpedance through the use of an ocular window that assesses dynamic changes in cerebral blood volume (CBV). That ocular window is implemented through an ocular bioimpedance device that, in a non-invasive manner, measures numerous different brain health indicators using the bioimpedance measurements collected through the regions around the eyes. The ocular bioimpedance device may be goggles with localized measurement electrodes that include cathodes and anodes.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to formulations and methods for treatment of disease such as chemoprevention of cancer, for example oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and for methods of preparing the formulations. Further, the disclosure relates to local administration in slow release dosage forms for treatment of disease. The extended-release formulations are comprised of biodegradable polymeric implants (for example millicylinders and microspheres as well as in situ forming gels) and therapeutic agents selected from an anti-interleukin 6 agent, a synthetic vitamin A analogue and/or metabolite, and/or an estradiol metabolite for the local delivery of therapeutic agents to a site where a cancer has been previously excised or to prevent progression of a precancerous lesion.

Abstract: Crossbar arrays perform analog vector-matrix multiplication naturally and provide a building block for modern computing systems. Specialized mixed-signal interface circuits are interfaced with the rows and columns of the crossbar arrays. During operation, the mixed-signal interface circuits provide high voltages for write operations and low voltages for read operations. This disclosure presents improved designs for the mixed-signal interface circuits which minimize the number of switches as well as the number level shifters.

Abstract: Crossbar arrays perform analog vector-matrix multiplication naturally and provide a building block for modern computing systems. In many applications, the weights stored in the crossbar array are learned off-line and then stored on embedded devices. After the weights are learned, they do not change. Since the weights do not change in these applications, this disclosure envisions a new implementation for the processing elements of the crossbar array.

Abstract: In various aspects, a self-healing polymeric material is provided, as well as methods of making a self-healing material. The self-healing material may include a polymer network defining one or more ligands having a metal ion coordination site. The polymer network may be a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel and the metal ion may be a transition metal, like zinc. The metal ion is distributed in the polymer network and capable of interacting with the at least one metal ion coordination site via a reversible coordination bond. The polymer network is capable of self-healing a mechanical crack or cut in less than or equal to about 30 minutes at ambient conditions and in certain variations, in as little as 5-10 seconds. The self-healing polymeric materials can be used to form pressure sensitive adhesives.

Abstract: A method is presented for controlling power output by a battery in a vehicle. The method includes: measuring voltage of the battery during a sequence of vehicle events to form a time series, where each vehicle event is powered by the battery; constructing an unknown fingerprint from the voltage measurements made during the sequence of vehicle events, where the unknown fingerprint is indicative of a sequence of vehicle events; comparing the unknown fingerprint to the at least one fingerprint; receiving a start signal, where the start signal is a request to start the engine of the vehicle; and, in response to receiving the start signal and based on the comparison of the unknown fingerprint to the at least one fingerprint, outputting electric power from the battery to an electric starter motor of the vehicle.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are synthetic hydrogel useful for the generation, storage and administration of cellular structures such as spheroids and organoids.

Abstract: A cellular support system comprises a three-dimensional scaffold structure comprising at least one void. At least one suspended protein bridge spans across the at least one void in the three-dimensional scaffold structure. The suspended protein bridge is capable of supporting cells and promotes three-dimensional cellular growth. In certain aspects, the protein in the suspended protein bridge is an extracellular matrix protein, such as collagens, laminins, fibronectins, and combinations thereof. Such a cellular support system supports thriving cell cultures in three-dimensions emulating cell growth in vivo in an extracellular matrix, including promoting cell remodeling. Methods for making such cellular support systems are also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed are system and methods for manufacturing a solid-state electrolyte to be used in an electrochemical cell. The method can include forming a solid-state electrolyte from a material having a compositional property and a structural property, the material having been selected by: (i) providing material properties of a material, wherein the material properties comprise both compositional and structural information; (ii) calculating a first distortion parameter of a material, wherein the first distortion parameter represents the degree of lattice distortion of the material; (iii) determining an estimated ionic mobility value of the material using the one or more distortion parameters; (iv) varying the provided material properties using isovalent substitution and determining a second ionic mobility value from a second distortion parameter by repeating steps (i)-(iii); and (v) comparing the first and second ionic mobility values to select the superior material derivative.

Abstract: A thermoelectric composition is provided that includes a nanocomposite comprising a copper selenide (Cu2Se) matrix having a plurality of nanoinclusions comprising copper metal selenide (CuMSe2) distributed therein. M may be selected from the group consisting of: indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and combinations thereof. The thermoelectric composition has an average figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 1.5 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.). Methods of making such a thermoelectric nanocomposite material by a sequential solid-state transformation of a CuSe2 precursor are also provided.